Fesenjan
From the kitchen of NYTimes Cooking.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs skinless boneless chicken breast
- salt and pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 cups shelled walnets (about 1 lbs)
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 2 cups pomegranate molasses (I use 1 cup)
- ½ cup butternut squash (or sweet potato)
- ¼ tsp cinnamom
- ¼ tsp saffron, dissolved in 2 tbsp hot water
- 1-2 cups chicken broth
- 2 tbsp sugar or to tastse
- 1 small clementine/tangerine/orange (This is recommended by a reader)
Instructions
- Toast your walnuts in the bottom of a large Dutch oven. Remove from pan and set aside to cool. Once cooled, pulse in a food processor until very fine. I go almost to a paste like consistency.
- In the same pot, heat the oil and brown the chicken (season with salt and pepper). Remove from pan and set aside.
- Add a little more oil, saute onions til soft. Then add 2 cups of water, the ground walnuts and simmer over medium low heat for 20 minutes.
- Add 1 cup of pomegranate molasses, sauteed chicken, cinnamon, squash, saffron and 1 cup of chicken broth or water.
- Bring to boil, then reduce heat to simmer gently, covered, until sauce is dark walnut color with a layer of oil on the surface. THIS IS IMPORTANT TO SEE. May take 35-45 minutes. If it lookd dry, add broth. Taste and adjust flavors adding more sugar, salt or pomegranate molasses. Stir oil back into the mix.
- Continue to simmer on low heat until sauce is thick and chicken is cooked (10-20 min).
- Take a final taste test and adjust to your liking.
- Stir oil back in and serve over basmati rice with tahdig.
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